This Week’s Events: Wine Dinners, Wine Tastings MRA Banquet, New England Brew Summit

Tuesday – Elda is holding an Austrian wine dinner, the MRA Awards Banquet is taking place, and American Sommelier is holding a Sparkling wine tasting at CloudPort.

WednesdayBlack Tie is teaching a cooking class.

Thursday – there will be a Canary Island wine tasting at Maine & Loire and a Corsican wine dinner at Petite Jacqueline, and the New England Brew Summit is taking place.

Friday – there will be a wine tasting at Maine & Loire with Spanish wine maker Fredi Torres, a wine tasting at the Brighton Ave Rosemont, and Bodegas Albamar wine dinner at Chaval.

Saturday – an Oakleaf dinner is taking place at Fork Food Lab, and the Winter Farmers’ Market is taking place.

SundayFoley’s/Scattoloni is teaching a baking class.

For more information on these and other upcoming food happenings in the area, visit the event calendar.

If you are holding a food event this week that’s not listed above, publicize it by adding it as a comment to this post.

Reviews: Elda, Blyth and Burrows, Blue Fin, Miss Portland Diner

The Maine Sunday Telegram has reviewed Elda,

No mincing words: Elda is a fantastic addition to the southern Maine dining scene, and the Biddeford 50-seater might very well be the best new restaurant to open in the Portland metropolitan area in the past two years. Chef/owner Bowman Brown’s resume probably should have tipped all of us off to what was in store; as chef at Forage in Salt Lake City, he was widely celebrated for a cooking style that linked place to plates. At Elda, he’s up to many of the same tricks, but with a different palette of ingredients, most coastal, as well as a newfound interest in exploring ways to combine modern and traditional techniques into his small-plates menu. The results are stunning.

the Portland Phoenix has reviewed Blyth and Burrows,

Around 30 percent of the evening fare at Blyth & Burrows is comprised of Asian-focused dishes — mostly baos and dumplings—which carries over to the new brunch menu. Saigon tuna crudo is bright, texturally animated and subtle in flavor, carried by the presence of nuoc cham and crispy alliums.

the Press Herald has published a bar review of Blue Fin, and

Thanks in large part to a generous pour of bourbon, the resulting drink shows just enough sweetness, settling at the back of the tongue, while highlighting the boozy bite it requires for balance. With candied orange overtones and a beautiful appearance, the drink glistens in its glass and finishes with a velvety, almost creamy mouthfeel lasting well into the next sip. It is, in a word, divine.

Peter Peter Portland Eater has reviewed Miss Portland Diner.

They don’t do fancy – typical diner stuff for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (3 days), but it’s well prepared, flavorful, and they offer a few mildly inventive options. And they are housed in a historical diner car which gives them a really neat look and feel. Give Miss P. a shot and I think you’ll find your hunger happily satiated.

2018 Phoenix Readership Poll

The Portland Phoenix has kicked-off their 2018 Best of Portland readership poll. The Phoenix follows a modified 2-step process: an open voting/nominations process now through April 17. On the 18th, the Phoenix culls down the list in each category to the top 6 and voting continues.

There are dozens of food and drink categories ranging from burgers and barbecue to sushi and salad. Portland Food Map is listed as a nominee in the Best Blog category in the City Life section.

Under Construction: Cousins Maine Lobster

The Sentry reports that Cousins Maine Lobster will locate a truck this summer in Fort Williams Park. Bite Into Maine which has been in the park since 2011 will continue to operate in the park in their usual location.

According to Public Works Director Robert Malley, Site A, which was previously located at a 50-square-foot site on the south side of the circle, was moved to accommodate winning bidder Cousins Maine Lobster, a franchise food truck business. The truck will be stationed next to Site B, also 90 square feet, designated for Gorgeous Gelato.

Update: The Forecaster has posted an update on the Cousins food truck.

First Look at Black Cow

The Blueberry Files has published a first look report of Black Cow.

Everyone who mourned the closing of Sonny’s, Jay Villani’s Latin-themed restaurant on lower Exchange Street can breathe easy—Black Cow is now open, and the bar remains functionally the same. The food, however, is completely different with a focus on hamburgers, ice cream, and sodas. Those who enjoyed cozying up to Sonny’s large bar and ordering a creative cocktail will be pleased to see Black Cow has a list that rivals Sonny’s in its inventiveness.

Tempo Dulu/Opium to Close

Both Tempo Dulu and Opium, the restaurant and bar in the Danforth Inn, are scheduled to close at the end of this month, reports the Press Herald.

Raymond Brunyanszki, co-owner of the inn, said the businesses were not profitable enough and that a “disconnect” existed between the guests staying at the inn and people dining at the restaurant. He also cited the difficulty of finding qualified staff familiar with Southeast Asian cuisine.

Zimmern Show in Portland

Portland is the focus of a new episode of Andrew Zimmern’s TV show The Zimmern List set to air tonight at 9:30 on the Travel Channel.

But when a Portland-centric episode of his new show, “The Zimmern List,” airs Tuesday night, it’ll be largely about his dad.

“The whole episode is really an homage to him. I went to places that he first turned me on to,” Zimmern, 56, said Monday from his home in Minnesota. “It was a very poignant and personal episode for me. I think it’s one of the better pieces I’ve done for television.”